that we frequently walk in the morning. The photo shows one from a past year. The small number this year is becoming a concern, since we may have only one Leatherback Turtle nest to date, as well, on that same stretch (possibly laid back on April 9). While this may not be a representative sample of all of the Hutchinson Island beaches covered by the Environmental Associates, Inc. biologists, it is several fewer nests to date than the number we had by this time last year. By May 17, 2009, we had recorded three Leatherback nests and 3 Loggerhead nests on this section of beach. We may not yet have enough to see a "pattern" for the year, but with the steep beach "escarpments" caused by February and March waves, and the large oil spills in the Gulf possibly reaching our eastern Florida coast in the near future, sea turtles may be in for a difficult egg-nesting season. We were fortunate to flag down an EAI employee this morning to ask her our question of whether this was typical of the rest of the beaches that they patrolled. She indicated that there were a number of nests south of where we walk the beach, but another comment that caught our attention was that she indicated that they may not officially mark all of the Leatherback nests because those turtles lay their eggs in nests dug very deep in the sand. You may remember that I was only able to find one stake designating a Leatherback nest - not the typical triangular 3 posts with yellow tape wrapped between those stakes. We won't jump to any conclusions - yet, but will hope that the sea turtle-nesting activity increases significantly in the months to come.Monday, May 17, 2010
WHAT'S THE STORY?
It's the middle of May already and we only have one Loggerhead Sea Turtle nest to show for it - at least on the stretch of beach
that we frequently walk in the morning. The photo shows one from a past year. The small number this year is becoming a concern, since we may have only one Leatherback Turtle nest to date, as well, on that same stretch (possibly laid back on April 9). While this may not be a representative sample of all of the Hutchinson Island beaches covered by the Environmental Associates, Inc. biologists, it is several fewer nests to date than the number we had by this time last year. By May 17, 2009, we had recorded three Leatherback nests and 3 Loggerhead nests on this section of beach. We may not yet have enough to see a "pattern" for the year, but with the steep beach "escarpments" caused by February and March waves, and the large oil spills in the Gulf possibly reaching our eastern Florida coast in the near future, sea turtles may be in for a difficult egg-nesting season. We were fortunate to flag down an EAI employee this morning to ask her our question of whether this was typical of the rest of the beaches that they patrolled. She indicated that there were a number of nests south of where we walk the beach, but another comment that caught our attention was that she indicated that they may not officially mark all of the Leatherback nests because those turtles lay their eggs in nests dug very deep in the sand. You may remember that I was only able to find one stake designating a Leatherback nest - not the typical triangular 3 posts with yellow tape wrapped between those stakes. We won't jump to any conclusions - yet, but will hope that the sea turtle-nesting activity increases significantly in the months to come.
that we frequently walk in the morning. The photo shows one from a past year. The small number this year is becoming a concern, since we may have only one Leatherback Turtle nest to date, as well, on that same stretch (possibly laid back on April 9). While this may not be a representative sample of all of the Hutchinson Island beaches covered by the Environmental Associates, Inc. biologists, it is several fewer nests to date than the number we had by this time last year. By May 17, 2009, we had recorded three Leatherback nests and 3 Loggerhead nests on this section of beach. We may not yet have enough to see a "pattern" for the year, but with the steep beach "escarpments" caused by February and March waves, and the large oil spills in the Gulf possibly reaching our eastern Florida coast in the near future, sea turtles may be in for a difficult egg-nesting season. We were fortunate to flag down an EAI employee this morning to ask her our question of whether this was typical of the rest of the beaches that they patrolled. She indicated that there were a number of nests south of where we walk the beach, but another comment that caught our attention was that she indicated that they may not officially mark all of the Leatherback nests because those turtles lay their eggs in nests dug very deep in the sand. You may remember that I was only able to find one stake designating a Leatherback nest - not the typical triangular 3 posts with yellow tape wrapped between those stakes. We won't jump to any conclusions - yet, but will hope that the sea turtle-nesting activity increases significantly in the months to come.
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